No Christmas Date for Rohan – Waterford fighter off York Hall show

Rohan Daté [6(5)-0-1] has been forced to pull out of his scheduled six-round clash with Angel Emilov due to illness.

The Waterford man was set to fight the Bulgarian on December 15 at the York Hall on British Warriors Boxing’s ‘Christmas Carnage’ show, but fell ill during fight week and has had to remove himself from the card.

Indeed the big punching 25 -year-old was admitted to hospital to undergo blood tests.

“I’ve never been this sick in my life, I was in the hospital over Monday and Tuesday with this virus, they had to run blood tests.

“I don’t know anyone else that is sick around me, no one in the gym or where I live is ill so I don’t know where this has come from. Just been a pain in the ass! I’m on the mend but was still struggling to get down the stairs this morning, but I’m better than I was.”

Being sick over Christmas is never nice, but it’s particularly frustrating for Daté as it prevents him adding to his impressive victory over Innocent Anyanwu and adding another victory to his slate before 2019 was done.

Daté also suggests it may ruin plans for a potential February homecoming.

“I’m gutted because we wanted to have this fight and be fresh to go in the New Year. All my mates are all flying over from Ireland to London, there’s a load of them still coming over!”

“It’s not the end of the world but I wanted that fight to have a fresh start in 2019 because I’ve kind of been told that I’ll be having another big fight in March, like a six or eight-rounder to be eligible for title fights. I still want the Irish title early next year.

“I was hoping to fight in February for the Irish or Celtic title back in my home town in Waterford in Ireland, but I need to get eight-rounds in to be eligible, so waiting to see what happens next.”